Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1887-11-18
MOUNT MYSTERY.

|
There were six of us in the party, all
young fellows with little Or no experience,
| and when we realized our situation we
were in despair.
| When we started out from the coast it
seemed to us that it would be a regular
| frolic to spend couple of weeks among
The mountains in the interior At the end
Of that time the brig Pacific would be
.eady to depart, and we could then resume
our journey to San Francisco.
The captain of the vessel endeavored to
| lissuade us.
;'The natives are not likely to bother
| you," he said, ''but very little is known
If the country beyond the mountains
| Strange tales have reached my ears, and
although | am as fond of adventure as
anybody, the trip would not suit me-"
We laughed at the old sailor. We were
we'll armed and afraid of nothing.
sit is all right" told the captain,
"with proper caution there will be no
hanger. We may make valuable discov-
cries and become famous explorers. 1t is
lime to unveil the secrets of this wonder
jul land, and it is nonsense to be frightened
off by a few sailors yarns
The captain shook his head and said no
more. We completed our preparations
III UlIC ulIpj dIiNi Ccil OllC
off in the highest spirits.
When the discovery was made, after we
lad been camping out for about week,
that we had lost our way it appeared to
middle our heads.
Various attempts were made to head
towards the coast, but in every instance
we were compelled to return disheartened
and uncertain as to our course.
The few natives encountered in our
wanderings were unlike those along the
,eaboard. They were light colored, hand
some and active, and fled at our approach,
refusing to hold any communication
with us.
One evening we camped on the bor-
lers of lovely lake under the shadow of
frowning mountain.
"There is something queer about that
mountain, u remarked Walpole, the only
sailor in our party.
"Queerp' replied cautiously. every
thing is queer in this peculiar land.
What is it about the mountain that strikes
You?'
"While have been resting here" said
Walpole, who was lazily reclining on the
grass, ~ have been using my eyes. The
mountain is as steep on this side as the
lace of stone wall. If it is that way all
around the top must be inaccessible"
"Well,'' I answered, "who wants to
climb to the top?''
81 do, for one," responded Walpo1e.
1.-THE luminous cloud or vapor around the
summit and reaching down the sides is a
strange thing. Just watch it for mo-
ment.'
looked upward at the precipitous mass
Of rock. The cloud was stationary, and
raI 10 etoo
Else.
occasionally" said my companion, II
see birds fly out of the cloud, and after
circling about for awhile they always re-
turn. Then, if my ears do not deceive
me, and they are keen ones, can dis
tinguish various voices all coming from
the direction of the cloud.'
"Why, man, you are losing your
senses,'' interrupted. eff the summit
Is inaccessible what can there be up there
to make a noise ~
''Birds at least" said the sailor, with
smile, ~ can swear to seeing the birds.
don't know what else may be up there,
but several times in the last half hour J.
have heard the clang of metal and the
sound of human voicS;."
"He is right said Hinton, another
member of our party. II have heard the
same sounds, but I didn't like to men
tion it."
'sWny not explore little ?" suggested,
indifferently.
To my surprise everybody agreed. The
men were tired roaming about aimlessly
with disappointment at every turn. They
were ready for anything for change.
In the morning two men started in one
direction around the base of the mountain,
while two went in the other. Their plan
was to proceed until they met, and then
return together
remained with one man at the camp.
Others might investigate Mount Mystery,
as we called it, but felt too fatigued for
such an effort.
During the day we lounged about and
watched the cloud wrapped phenomenon
before us. More than once [ heard a
chatter apparently in the upper air, and
once or twice / was sure that heard
voices. Evidently Mount Mystery was a
good name for this freak Of nature.
Late in the afternoon our comrades re-
turned They had walked all day, COW
-ering many miles, and they had learned
nothing except that the mountain pre-
sented the same perpendicular wall-like
appearance all the way around
cat one place, y said Hinton, eve saw
a tolerably large stream of water triokling
down the sides of the rock. So there is
water up there, and it may be that the
whole surface is productive and inhab-
ited''
''You forget I objected, "that it is
impossible fol any living thing except a
bird to get up there
"Of course l don't attempt to explain
it, said Walpo1e, "but it is possible that
ages ago the mountain sloped down, at
least on one side. An earthquake or
landslip may have left it in its present
condition, with a whole tribe of people
stranded there among the clouds. I don't
say it is so, but that may be the way
of it, -
Night came upon us again, and we were
glad to rest.
sEWhat is that?''
Hinton was standing over me pointing
to the mountain. was wide awake in
moment and listened intently
High above the earth I heard voices
singing what seemed to be barbaric
chant. Mingled with the voices l could
hear the clash and sonorOus peal of
musical instruments.
'sWhat do you say nowf" asked Wal
pole, coming up.
Every man in the camp was awakened,
and we spent the greater part of the night
listening to. the marvellous concert in tn
clouds.
The dawn of day found us looking at
e;lcn ouner Win pale faces ana anxious
ryor.
'sShan we break camp and moves" I
asked.
''Yes, tomorrow" replied Walpole.
ssGive me one more day. I have found
out something this morning that may
lead to a great discovery. Down there
by the lake there is what appears to be
streak of moss running in a zig gag
fashion up the mountain. Well, that
moss fringes and partially conceals some
thing like rough hewn or perhaps
natural flight of narrow steps winding